Steering-gear for vehicles.



H. SCHUMACHER.

STEERING GEAR POR VEHICLESy APPLICATION FILED JULY 31r 1912.

l l 06,589. Patented Aug. 11, 19111 HENRY SCHUMACHER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

STEERING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 19141.

Application led July 31, 1912. Serial No. 712,444.

Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Steer1ng-Gears for Vei hicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steering gears for vehicles of that character in which the axle arm or spindle supporting the lsteering wheel is pivotally mounted on the axle or axle body by means of a spherical knuckle or ball arranged'on the axle and engaging with a correspondingly shaped socket in the rear end of the axle arm, and a vertical pivot pin extends through the axle arm and knuckle in line with the tread of the wheel. Such a steering gear is shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,080,793

`granted to myself June 25, 1912, and the present invention is an improvement on that type of steering gear. 1

The purpose of the present invention is to relieve the vertical pivot pin which connects the axle arm and axle from undue strains in a vertical direction to which the same is subjected while in use and to strengthen or reinforce the same so that breakage of the steering gear is not liable to occur under the se'verest usage or load to which the same may be subjected.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved steering gear applied to one of the front or steering wheels of an automobile and the adjacent part of the axle. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken in line 3-3,-Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the tubular hub'- of the steering wheel and 2 the spokes thereof which parts may be of any suitable and Well known construction. t

3 represents the axle arm or spindle which forms part of the steering mechanism and upon the outer side of which the hub of the steering wheel is journaled by means [of front and rear ball bearings 4, 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or by any other suitable means. The rear end of the axle arm may be provided with an external annular flange G which contains an annular packing ring 7 engaging with the bore of the hubat the rear end thereof for the purpose of excluding dust, dirt and water from the rear ball bearing. The hub 1s confined on the axle-arm by a screw nut 8 and Washer 9 arranged on the front endl of the axle arm. Dust and dirt are excluded from the front ball bearing by means of a cap 10 applied to this end .of the hub 1n the usual manner. At its rear end the axle arm is lprovided with a spherical socket y,11 in which is seated a sphericalv knuckle or ball 12 arranged on the front end of the body or main portion of the steering axle 13. The axle arm and axle are pivotally connected with each other so as to permit thejaxle arm to turn horizontally relatively to the axle body by means which comprlse a vertical pivot pin 14 extending centrally through the ball of the axle and the adjacent upper and lower parts of the axle arm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to relieve this pivot pin from the shearing strains to which the same is subjected by a load which tends to tip the wheel in one direction or the other in a vertical plane parallel with the length of the axle and axle a1m, reinforcing or strengthening means are detachably connected by means of screws 16 with the inner opposing sides of horizontal flanges 17 projecting rearwardly from the rear end of the axle arm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Preferably on its front side each of these abutment bars is provided with a curved track or face 18 which is concentric with the pivot pin connecting the axle and axle arm. These curved faces of the abutment bars are engaged by thrust members mounted on the upper and lower sides of the axle in rear of the pivot pin. Each of these thrust members preferably consists of a fixed vertical thrust formed integrally wit the axle, an inner annular ball race 20 mounted on each of the thrust pins, a bearing ring or roller 21 engaging with the curved face of one of the abutment bars, and an annular row of balls 22 interposed between the bearing ring and in, stud or lug 19 the yball race. These thrust members therefore form rolling bearings or anti-friction rollers whereby the wheel is Jfree to turn horizontally relatively to the axle but any tendency to tip the upper end of the wheel inwardly is resisted by the lower thrust roller and abutment bar and any tendency to tip the upper end of the vwheel outwardly is resisted by the upper thrust roller and abutment bar. These thrust rollers and bars therefore supplement the main pivot pin 14 in keeping the wheel in an upright position land preventing the same from becoming strained, bent or broken under the load to which itin-ay be subjected, thereby increasing the strength and safety of the wheel and the steering mechanism connecting the samel with the axle.

F or the purpose of minimizing the entranceof dust, dirt and water into the joint between the ball of the axle and the socket ofthe axle arm the .opposite end of each abument bar is provided with vertical side plates-23 each of which engages at its outer end with the adjacent lateral edge of the companion supporting flange 17 while its inner end engages with the opposing end of y the companion side `plate on the correspondrear of the pivotal connection between said axle and axle arm and operating to resist tipping of the Wheel vertically lengthwise of the axle and axle arm, comprising an l abutment lixed on the rear part of the axle arm and having a curved face which is concentric With the pivotal connection'between the axle and axle arm and a thrust member comprising a stud arranged on the axle, a ball race arranged on the stud, a roller engaging said curved face, and a row of balls interposed between said ball race and roller.

2. A steering gear for vehicles comprising an axle, an axle arm pivoted on said 4axle to turn horizontally, a wheel journaled on the axle arm, and a thrust bearing interposed between said axle and axle arm in rear of the pivotal connection between said axle and axle arm and operating to resist tipping of the Wheel vertically lengthwise of the axle and axle arm, comprising horizontal transverse flanges arranged on therear end of the axle arm above and below the axle, up`

per and lower abutment bars secured to the opposing inner sides 'of said Hanges, respectively, and each provided at-its opposite ends with vertical side plates each of which bears, at its louter end against the adjacent end of the corresponding .flange while'its inner end bears against the corresponding inner end of the companion side plate of the other abutment bar, and upper and lower rollers arranged on the upper and lower sides of the axle and engaging respectively with theupper and lower abutment bars;

Witness my hand this 29th day of July,

v HENRY SCHUMACHER. lVit'nesses:

L., BRADLEY Donn, FRANK R. SCHUMACHER. 

